Bruce Pearl has one request for Auburn basketball fans ahead of Alabama matchup
AUBURN — Neville Arena gives Auburn basketball a significant edge.
That's no secret, as the Tigers have won 43 of their last 45 games in front of The Jungle, the affectionate nickname for the student section. Auburn is riding a 14-game home winning streak into its matchup with Alabama on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN2), with its last loss on the Plains coming against the Crimson Tide in February 2023.
"I feel like at home ... everybody’s got superpowers for some reason," Chad Baker-Mazara said Tuesday. "Everybody starts hitting more shots. A lot of that has to do with the fans. I love them. ... You feel like you got a little more swagger in you (at home). You're confident because you know the crowd's got your back."
With so much on the line — Alabama sits atop the SEC with a 7-1 mark in conference play. The Tigers narrowly trail with a 6-2 record — it's sure to be a rocking enviornment. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl certainly hopes that's the case, but he does have one request for the fans who plan to be in attendance.
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"The crowds have been great and I'm really, really proud of the league and every institution for developing really good fanbases," Pearl said. "... It's been terrific, (but) I want to remind our fans to also be a little bit mindful of the language. I think we can (still) be wild and crazy and have fun. ...
"That was one of my 21 Days of Prayer prayers, was I gave up a couple things. One of the hardest things was to stop cussing, so I'm not perfect at it either. But I want our fans to be mindful of that at Auburn. It matters, and sometimes it just doesn't need to be that way. But very excited about the game, very excited about the students coming out, and I would imagine this is going to be such a tough ticket, just like a few other games we play during the course of the season."
The Tigers and Crimson Tide have played once already this season, with the latter earning a four-point victory in Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 24.
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly on Twitter, @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball vs. Alabama: Bruce Pearl makes request to fans
